Windows 98, Me, and XP back up the Registry automatically at regular intervals, but it’s still safest to back up your Registry manually before you make any major changes to your system.
Windows 98: Select Start, Run, then type scanreg and press Enter. When you’re told that there are no errors, click Yes to back up the Registry, then OK. To restore the Registry, select Start, Shut Down, click Restart in MS-DOS mode, and click OK. At the C:\WINDOWS> prompt, type scanreg /restore (don’t forget to put a space before the slash) and press Enter. Select a backup from the list and press Enter again.
Windows 2000: Go to Start > Run > type “regedit”
Make sure “My Computer” is selected, then go to File > Export
Under “Export Range” make sure that “All” is selected
Then name your file and save it
Windows Me and XP: Select Start, Programs (All Programs in XP) , Accessories, System Tools, System Restore to bring up the System Restore Wizard. To back up your Registry, choose Create a restore point; to restore the Registry, select Restore my computer to an earlier time.
